E36 heated mirrors not working
Discussion
No, not all BMW's have heated mirrors, they were an option on the E36.
If you want to check if you should have heated mirrors (assuming they are not heating up), you need to move the mirror position until it is fully up, then, using a wide, thin flat piece of bar wrapped in some cloth, carefully prise the glass out (it only clips in but it does sound like you're breaking something when it unclips so be aware, and the force required to prise the glass out does feel like you you're about to break the glass).
If they're the heated version you will see two small terminals with wires attached to them on the back of the glass. these terminals connect to the heater element fitted to the glass.
The wires are then just a constant feed taken from the positioning motor's wiring by piggy backing them onto the motor wiring crimps (the motors are permanently live when the ignition is on).
With the heated mirror glass what tends to happen over the years is that the heating elements tend to burn out because they are constantly on when the car is in use, they never switch off like later models do (later versions are temperature controlled).
These breaks can be repaired by carefully soldering the element back together again after removing the backing off the glass (which can be a pain to do!).
For the cost of the glass it's probably better to buy replacements but you've nothing to lose by attempting a repair.
If you don't have heated mirrors but want them, all you need to buy is the heated glass, a some suitable small wire and some small suitable terminal crimps (you could possibly solder the wires on but I suspect crimping would be better).
1) Remove the mirrors from the car to make access to the glass easier (see here: http://www.bimmerdiy.com/diy/e36mirrorremoval/ This shows an M3 mirror but the standard mirrors are fitted identically), then prise out the glass as previously mentioned.
2) Remove the positioning motor (held on by four screws), for access the the supply wires.
3) Next you then need attach wires to the position motors crimps and the other end of the wires to the terminals on the replacement heated glass (doesn't matter which wire goes to which terminal).
4) Refit the positioning motor to the housing.
5) Connect the mirror assembly back to the car before refitting it to check that the the glass heats up when the ignition is turned on (takes a few seconds to start to heat up).
6) If the mirror heats up correctly, disconnect the mirror plug and refit the door mirror then reconnect the door mirror plug.
7) Refit the inner triangular cover and you're good to go!.
Hope this is all of some help!
If you want to check if you should have heated mirrors (assuming they are not heating up), you need to move the mirror position until it is fully up, then, using a wide, thin flat piece of bar wrapped in some cloth, carefully prise the glass out (it only clips in but it does sound like you're breaking something when it unclips so be aware, and the force required to prise the glass out does feel like you you're about to break the glass).
If they're the heated version you will see two small terminals with wires attached to them on the back of the glass. these terminals connect to the heater element fitted to the glass.
The wires are then just a constant feed taken from the positioning motor's wiring by piggy backing them onto the motor wiring crimps (the motors are permanently live when the ignition is on).
With the heated mirror glass what tends to happen over the years is that the heating elements tend to burn out because they are constantly on when the car is in use, they never switch off like later models do (later versions are temperature controlled).
These breaks can be repaired by carefully soldering the element back together again after removing the backing off the glass (which can be a pain to do!).
For the cost of the glass it's probably better to buy replacements but you've nothing to lose by attempting a repair.
If you don't have heated mirrors but want them, all you need to buy is the heated glass, a some suitable small wire and some small suitable terminal crimps (you could possibly solder the wires on but I suspect crimping would be better).
1) Remove the mirrors from the car to make access to the glass easier (see here: http://www.bimmerdiy.com/diy/e36mirrorremoval/ This shows an M3 mirror but the standard mirrors are fitted identically), then prise out the glass as previously mentioned.
2) Remove the positioning motor (held on by four screws), for access the the supply wires.
3) Next you then need attach wires to the position motors crimps and the other end of the wires to the terminals on the replacement heated glass (doesn't matter which wire goes to which terminal).
4) Refit the positioning motor to the housing.
5) Connect the mirror assembly back to the car before refitting it to check that the the glass heats up when the ignition is turned on (takes a few seconds to start to heat up).
6) If the mirror heats up correctly, disconnect the mirror plug and refit the door mirror then reconnect the door mirror plug.
7) Refit the inner triangular cover and you're good to go!.
Hope this is all of some help!
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